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Episode 1: Blackhollow - Part 1
The adventure begins with the Tranquility Team standing outside the gates of a town called Blackhollow in the mid-afternoon (around 3:20pm). The Finest had recently slain a large demon in the area, however, Blackhollow has requested some further help with some of the lesser demons that remained. After talking with Bejen, they learn that after the larger demon was killed, the Finest just left, ignoring the smaller demons. Bejen gives the team directions to the town hall where the mayor is. They meet Mayor Lykke Nilda, who welcomes them. She brings in the chief of police, Chief Aldonna, to give more detail on the demon attacks. Aldonna relays that she is upset that the Finest left after killing the larger demon, despite plenty of smaller demons remaining; and that every night, more people are killed. After expressing her dismay for the team, Aldonna points the team toward the area where they know the demons are coming from. The team heads to the Hairy Chin to post up until evening. After causing a scene, they exit and head to the other bar in town, the Spout. They discuss fried chicken and drinks with the bartender, Reschennel, before chatting up Frank, a local tiefling doctor. He agrees to show them some of the bodies of recent demon attacks, since they are acting in service to the mayor. Once at the morgue, they investigate the bodies. They appear to be missing body parts, and they are all humans. The team leaves Frank and go to investigate the area of town where the attacks have occurred. There are five houses that look suspicious, and there are police monitoring the area where the most recent body was found. Gail devises a plan for her and Bug to talk loudly to lure the demons to attack them, while Hue and Yolanda hide in a bush. The gang hears a scream after an hour of acting. They rush down a side street, and Yolanda spots a top heavy, normal-boobed figure dragging something behind it. Setting Blackhollow The team arrives in the mid afternoon (about 3:20pm) A city with a gate, guarded by Bejen. The town is fairly intact, no obvious damage. People are not fearful. It's not a bustling town, but people are out-and-about in the streets. The demon attacks were happening for a couple of weeks according to the Spout bartender. There's a town hall with people in the front.The mayor's office is in the back. The mayor's office is a 10 x 15 ft room with a desk of mostly papers for budgetting. Though the larger demon is gone, citizens are still being attacked, homes are being broken into and bodies are ending up in people's yards. Every night, more people are killed, according to Chief Aldonna. There's an area of the town where the police know the demons are coming from, because they don't stray far from their point of origin. There are two inns that they can check into: the Hairy Chin and the Spout. It's a pretty sizeable town, a few thousand people (about 10 thousand). The Hairy Chin is a fine looking establishment, not fine-fine, but ok fine. It's full of humans (only humans). The Spout has a different logo from the last place and a slightly different arrangement inside, different tables and bar. The floor is a little sticky but not very sticky. A lot of people are drinking to cope with the demon attacks. Weed is illegal in this world. The coroner's office is a long building with two stories, a little taller than the rest of the buildings. The longest building in town. There is a morgue inside. It smells terrible, it smells awful. The bodies are gross, very gross. A limb is removed from one, the left arm is missing entirely from another, the eyes of another have been torn out. All of them have badly raked skin. There are deep fissures and crusted blood. The folks were attacked in the area of town ...that was described earlier. The area is not very large, and attacks happen most nights. One or two per night. The big demon lasted four or five days by itself, but it was mostly way off in the caves, it'd come in once and a while. The victims are all human, not hard laborers, not young or too old. Belongings not touched. No weed in the purses. Nightfall will occur in an hour or two. One victim (a man) was going to meet another friend at the friend's house, just after nightfall. The other (a woman) was very drunk and getting home. There are five houses in the crime scene that look suspicious. They don't look abandoned or dilapidated. Gail and Bug play-act for an hour before a scream cuts through the night. The corpulent demon was heading back to a residential, medium-sized two-story house. It's nice but not a mansion. It's sparsely kept place, very spartan. No couch, no comfortable furniture, all very sharp edges. Can see a workshop. Has hardwood floors. Overwhelmingly made of wood, handmade table for himself. A little dusty, but not abandoned. Bedroom upstairs with a single twin bed, a desk with letterheads. Someone profession lived here. Letterhead reads "Gisilbert Mercurious". There's a basement with some crates, seems like a regular basement with tools on the wall, used for carpentry. Crates have a lot of salted meats. Tools are mostly hammers and saws. The secret passage is not mechanically driven, just that the shelf can be moved back and forth (not a pull-the-book contraption). Fleshy corpulent hands emerge from the opening bookshelf Characters Gail takes the initiative to find the mayor/or someone in charge to get this mission underway. Dressed like a fancy upper East Side lady going to church, very colorful, sort impractical if she has to walk to her church. Judges Lykke Nilda for not being as colorful. Thinks Lykke Nilda is a bad mayor after looking through her desk. Instantly likes Aldonna based on her attire. Sets up plan to post up in an inn and wait for night fall. Says that Aldonna seems very competent and capable. Tries to difuse the situation by saying that they're at the wrong bar and they should get out of there. Gail tries some of the weed. Asks for a white wine spritzer at the Spout, then a rose, then settles for a cider. Tries to explain to the bartender what white wine spritzers are, adamantly gesturing. Leaves the cider which she hasn't touched. Investigates the dead bodies with precision, checking for dirt under the fingernails, touching for calluses. Gail characterizes them as not wealthy, day laborers or craftsmen. Leads the group to investigate the crime scene. Looking for clues, checking out sewer grates, roof tops. Gail gets very excited by plans. Checks out the dead body the demon dropped, learns its an unconscious bleeding woman. Calls for the police to come by. Gail murders the corpulent demon. Gail rationalizes the killing by saying there are more gross creatures like it and they need to act quickly before more people get hurt. Convinces Bug to break down the door to the house. Goes around the house with her bow drawn, cop-style. Fails her insight check, and is baffled by a blank piece of paper. Thinks there's secret writing on it. THinks there's a connection between the meat crates and the paper. Finds secret passage way behind tool shelf. Throws the tools off the wall. Starts chant of "Secret Passage" Hides in the shadow Hue Says the team is used to not getting additional resources when completing jobs. Rebukes Gail's compliment that Aldonna is a competent and capable person.Tells Bug not to fall in love with Aldonna. Receiving the side-eye from folks on the street. Says her real name is not Hue. Very used to being treated poorly by other people, as a result of being a tiefling? Burst into the Hairy Chin shouting "Have the things that have been terrorizing you looked like me?" Casts Thaumaturgy to slam the door as they leave the Hairy Chin. Hue smokes weed with Yolanda after Hairy Chin, she does a cool smoke trick. Puts up a hood to hide her tiefling features. Orders a whiskey. Has excellent posture (compared to Frank) because of her tail, she can balance on the end of her tail. Has a sword (a rapier). Holds her sword at the pinned demon's body. Checks around for other monsters in the area. Would've rather followed the demon to learn something rather than have Gail kill it. Has a lute lyre and plays it during Secret Passage chant. Draws her rapier when Yolanda points out the demon. Casts Mage Hand to move the shelf. Bug Bug asks Bejen for a photo of his kids. He loves pictures of children. Bug gives hearty handshakes. Bug claps Bejen on the back as they leave for the mayor's. Bug shakes the hand of every person in the town hall. Blushes in the presence of Aldonna. Gives Yolanda a handkerchief. Would rather throw himself on his own sword than see someone die as a result of his own negligence. Has rarely been touched by a woman. Says ALdonna seems like a competent lady who knows what she wants, that people don't get in her way. Doesn't know how to spell his own name. Hugs Yolanda. Tries to intimidate bartender by putting hand on his battle-axe. Bug abstains from the weed having. Bug has never drank alcohol. Gives the bartender the idea for fried chicken to promote business. Bug used to experiment with fried chicken with Yolanda on the road. Bug orders a water. Does a check to find a nervous/antsy person in the SPout. He's seen a lot of dead bodies in his time, and it doesn't get any easier (when at the morgue). Loves play-acting, he's very very very convincing. Bug gets embarrassed when Yolanda says boobs. Bug goes to tackle the top heavy, small normal-boobed person. Holds down the demon one-handed. Ate oatmeal this morning. Punches the demon after it hits Yolanda. Knows it's a bad thing and a sin to be a braggart. Says a prayer for the ugly monster after it is killed by Gail. Presses his enormous boy shoulder into the door and cracks its hinges. High fives Hue. Draws his battle axe when Yolanda points out the demon. Takes the lead on attack of whatever's behind the shelf. Yolanda Yolanda asks Bejen where she can score some weed. Doesn't feel safe with Bejen being so flippant about the safety of the citizens. Does a chill check on Lykke Nilda; she is not particularly chill. Shares Gail's opinion that she's not a good mayor and doesn't like how not chill she is. Tries to assuage Aldonna but fails. It's loud weed. Asks Aldonna who's the top criminal who's not criminal, like non-violent crime criminal. Yolanda likes the chief even though she is not very nice. Confronts bartender for being rude to Hue. YOlanda smokes weed after the Hairy Chin. Yolanda talks to a woman on the street to get information but ends up asking her for weed. Does a check to find a friendly person (Frank). Rifles through victims belongings for weed. Offers weed to Frank, which he refuses. Notices a top heavy person that's somewhat short, not a huge breasted person. Top heavy, normal amount of boobs. Suggests to tie a leash around the demon and follow him back to his home. Hears scraping on the other side of the wall in the basement. Draws out her shield. Stands behind Bug. Bejen Guard of the city of Blackhollow. A 37-year-old man with no children. Apologizes for letting down the Tranquility Team so soon. Just glad that the larger demon is gone, and if there are smaller demons running around, people can solve their own problems. He's more on the law side of the weed-having at the moment, so he's not a liberty to say. When confronted by Bug and Yolanda about his position on people solving their own problems and him being a guard, Bejen looks troubled and says "But, the wall?" Lykke Nilda (Mayor Nilda) A short human woman, dressed very professionally, good pants and a shirt with buttons at regular intervals. Not as colorful as Gail, very much an office attire situation. Not particularly chill. Wears glasses. Has higher pitched fancy female voice. She sent for the Tranquility Team to come to Blackhollow. Has not seen demons personally, but believes reports from witnesses. The mayor retreats at Hue's accusation that she is sleeping with Bejen. Chief Aldonna Woman, taller than Lykke Nilda, dressed entirely in police attire similar to Bejen. Not chill. Stern and upset. Wears a helmet. Seems perturbed about the Tranquility Team after the Finest came and left demons behind. Honestly, doesn't think the town needs any more help from the likes of the Tranquility Team. Has a disgusted face after Yolanda's coughing fit. She will give the team information, but no additional support or manpower. The Chief is miffed at Hue's rebuke to Gail saying that seems very competent and capable. The Hairy Chin bartender Looks at Hue with disdain after her ostentatious entry and with anger. Calls Hue "sir". Has deeper voice The Spout bartender (Reschennel) Thinks he should have a lot more customers given the population of the town and only two bars in town (or at least the area where attacks have occurred). Gets the idea for fried chicken from Bug. Adds a note. Has white hair and a white suit? Looks defeated after dealing with Gail. Dr. Frank Brandt A very short tiefling man, reading a book in the Spout. Loves talking to travellers, very kind fella. Wispy beard-and-mustache situation, on the older. Has a higher pitched old man voice. Says its been a hard time for a lot of people. He's seen many wounded, takes the team to see some of the corpses. Quite short, doesn't have the best posture. Swore off weed a long time ago. Thinks the idea that weed has medicinal purposes is ridiculous. He's clearly a well-known person, noticed and greeted by passers-by on the street, still gets the side-eye that Hue gets, he shrugs them off. He works at the morgue, doesn't have any children. Has a human wife, and can't have children, though they've tried. Says that tieflings have the reputation of being sneaky, and that humans are more respectable. Refuses Yolanda's weed, saying Michelle will kill him. Corpulent Demon Top-heavy, normal boobed. Was dragging a body. It's running away from the team, looks human, but its feet are very wide. Takes a left at the end of the block toward one of the suspicious houses. Softer, naked, and decaying. Lets out a gross 'arrrrgghghghg' when it drops. Sunken eyes and rolls of flesh covering up its eyes. Its mouth is jowly and full of rotten teeth. Large parts of its face are still peeling off. Tries to get out and away from Bug. Not a zombie or a reanimated corpse, Yolanda thinks. Struggles to get away. Has long black sharp nails, rakes its claws on Yolanda. Gail determines it's a low-ranking demon that's not particularly dangerous or threatening Constables Come to address Gail's shouts for help. Tend to the woman the team found, one says to go for a doctor. Gisilbert Mercurious Has letterhead that says "Gisilbert Mercurious, Chief of Police, Blackhollow". Home seems very impersonal, no sense of a life being lived here. Owns a two-story house, very spartan, no couch, has a workshop. A little dusty, single twin bed and desk with letterhead. Has handcrafted table and uses mostly wood in his decor. Running Jokes and Gags The gang asks an NPC if they have children (Bejen, then Bug asks Frank if he has any pictures of his children) Bug gives a hearty handshake (to Bejen, to every person in the town hall, hugs Yolanda) Yolanda asks a NPC for weed (Bejen, then Chief Aldonna, then Chief Aldonna who's the top non-violent crime criminal, then a random woman on the street, then Dr Frank Brandt, then rifles through the dead bodies' belongings for weed) The PCs misname an NPC (Yolanda says Benjen rather than Bejen, Gail calling him Bedan or Benji, Bug and Yolanda calls the Spout the Sippy Cup) Bejen is warmed in his interactions with Bug (a handshake and a clap on the back). Yolanda does a chill check (on Lykke Nilda, on Aldonna, on the people on the street) Someone bustling out (Lykke Nilda) Winking shenanigans (Gail saying that she winks loudly) Bug picks up people (Puts Yolanda on her back in the mayor's office) Almost all of Buckley's inns are above or attached to a bar. White wine spritzer (Gail orders one at the Spout, describes what they are to the bartender) Yolanda tries to hook Hue up with a tiefling (Dr Frank Brandt) Bug has food (gives Yolanda a granola bar out of his bag) Bug uses his big boy body (to tackle corpulent demon, to break into Gisilbert's house) Referencing soft rope (Bug saying he has soft rope to tie up demon) Yolanda uses her one hitter (after being perturbed by the demon) Bug looks for approval from Gail ("I caught a monster; are you proud of me?") Quotes * "Hi, I'm Gail Tartarsauce. I'm a 54-year-old human. I have two beautiful boys who are off in college. What's your name?" --Gail to Bejen, the gate guard * "Uh, my name Bejen, and I am a 37-year-old man, and I guard this gate and I have no children." --Bejen to Gail. * "Uh, I'm sorry to let you down so early." -- Bejen to Bug, after not having a photo of children to show them * Bejen: "The mayor's name is.. Lykke... Nilda." Hue/Bug: "Is it like Nilda or is it Nilda?" Bejen: "No, it's Lykke Nilda. The first name is... Lykke" * Glo: "Is it lunch hour yet, is it before lunch?" Stephen Buckley: "It's after lunch, sorry, Yolanda ..." Ali: "Don't worry, it's going to be 4:20 real soon." * "Lykke Nilda: she is a human, she's a short woman, and dressed very professionally, which in this era, I'm gonna say, like, good pants... and like a shirt with buttons at regular intervals." -- Stephen Buckley describing the mayor of Blackhollow * "There's just a few demons that are still killing people, and it issss a problem, as I'm sure you can appreciate." --Lykke Nilda * Gail: "I think this lady's a bad mayor." Yolanda: "I don't think she's particularly good, and I don't like how not chill she is." Gail: "So, it's agreed: we kill this mayor and hopefully the next person will do better." * "I don't know if you know, but that's called a coup, and we're not gonna do that.. this time in this town." --Bug in response to Gail proposing to kill Mayor Nilda * "I know what a coup is. then I wink loudly"--Gail to Bug * "Oh, you got this? You think you got this? Oh, she thinks she got this?" --Yolanda about Chief Aldonna * "'I know Bejen personally' she says... just because?" -- Stephen Buckley as Lykke Nilda * Yolanda: "Who is the top criminal, that's not like, like not criminal, that's like non-violent crime criminal." Hue: "So like tax evasion?" Yolanda: "Like selling weed." * Gail: "So, what do you know about these demons?" Aldonna: "Fine!" Gail: "We'll get out of your hair." Aldonna: "Great!" Gail: "We'll go check-in at the inn." Aldonna: "Wonderful!" * Bug: "It's not spelled H-U-G-H?" Hue: "No, it's H-U-E, like 'hue." Bug; "My goodness, I've gotta go back and change a lotta stuff in my dream journal--" Hue: "Is your name spelled B-U-G-H?" Bug: "I dunno." Hue: "Oh, you sweet, simple man." * "Have the things that have been terrorizing you LOOKED LIKE MEEE?" -- Hue to the patrons of the Hairy Chin, unprompted * "We're in Giulliani's New York, we're not in deBlasio's New York"-- Gail in response to weed being illegal * Gail: "Murder makes other people very jittery--" Hue:"--very racist." Gail: "Also everyone's racist." * Bug: "This is a city. This is like, uh, they make Ford Motors here, it's like a place." Yolanda: "That's crazy, this is such a big city and they only have two bars?" * "You look like a good ...colonel guy...with the white hair and the suit you're wearing."--Yolanda, talking to the bartender after discussing the idea of fried chicken * Frank: "So, I'm a doctor--" Yolanda: "I'm a cleric!" Frank: "Oh my goodness, a healer!" Bug:" I'm a human!" * Frank: "Oh, my goodness, I see it's not your first time investigating why a body died." Gail: "No, it's not." * Gail: "I'm so glad you came to visit your favorite aunt." Bug:"Hahaha, IIII have sex with women, andddd I'm just a regular ol' guy. Boy, it's nice to walk around out-side, on my human feet." Gail: "Do you use those human hands to do any of that blacksmithing work you were writing to me about?" Bug: "Uhh, yes I do ... I love blacksmithing as much as I love putting these BIG hands around my wife. Boyy, I love her so much. I just cry thinkin' about her." Gail: "Wellll, I sure am sorry my brother, your father, died." Bug: "Yeah, can you believe it? The stench of death still lingers upon us!" Gail: "God, it's such a human thing to do, we're so weak and fragile." * Stephen: "It's like a, it's top-heavy, but it's also kinda a corpulent, naked person, like just a--." SK: "Uh, Stephen, there might be some listeners that don't know what that means, not, I understand what that word means--" Glo: "Yeah, corpulent: looks like a corpse?" Stephen: "Yeah, it does look like a corpse, yeah, uh, corpulent means like 'disgusting' --I don't know why I'm defining stuff and mansplaining shit, yeah, it's like a fat corpse." * Stephen: "It winces back from it, but it is not too perturbed. It's stilll--" Ali: "It's not even perturbed?" Stephen: "It's not perturbed." Ali: "I punch it again!" * "I'm gonna take out my shield 'cause now I'M perturbed" --Yolanda in regard to the corpulent demon * "Yeah, make a sneak attack... to its face" --Stephen in regards to Gail doing a sneak attack to the pinned demon * "I pray your soul to go to sleep, and sleep forever more. And then when you have slept enough, you'll be another... door. And I open that door, and inside there's---" Bug, saying a prayer for the ugly demon Dice Rolls Trivia In the unmastered version, Dr Frank Brandt called his wife Abigail, rather than Michelle. Yolanda brings up weed six times in this episode. Stephen found a random name generator that created the name "Gisilbert Mercurious"